


Lorem Frigus

by TransformersG1fan271



Series: Uncharted Treasure Family [9]
Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: Nathan has PTSD about the train crash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:48:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24040852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TransformersG1fan271/pseuds/TransformersG1fan271
Summary: Keep moving Nathan, don't stop.A mantra born from the cold rears its ugly head, but this time Nathan isn't alone.
Series: Uncharted Treasure Family [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1688209
Kudos: 32





	Lorem Frigus

Nathan needs to give Sam a good punch when he gets out of the water. Shaking some mud from his hand, Nathan lifts the last few pieces of treasure into a large bucket, giving the rope a sharp tug.

It’s the middle of winter, and Nathan is currently diving just off the coast of Russia. Sam, in a rare turn of legality, had asked for his brothers' help in retrieving some treasure for him. It had fallen during some gunfight, and Nathan had, of course, accepted the offer. He hadn’t forgotten it was winter in Russia, and he certainly hadn’t been on the next flight over because he was worried about his brother.

Nah.

Scouring the last of the site, Nathan finds nothing and begins his way back to the surface. Almost to the top, he stops paying attention, cursing when a heavier piece of treasure is rocked from its hold. Sharp corners drag down Nathan’s shoulder and back, ancient metal digging in deep. Nathan cries out, the clear water quickly turning crimson as his blood gushes, the former treasure hunter clawing for the surface. 

_ Keep moving Nathan, don’t stop. _

He isn’t in Russia now, no he’s deep in the Himalayas. The beach that rolls under his hands becomes an unmoving stone, diving mask ripped off with a pained gasp. There is faint shouting from behind him, but he can’t hear it over the pounding of his heart. He can’t stop moving, Lazarevic’s men will come to investigate, and he needs to get the dagger away. Blood shows the way as Nathan staggers away from the beach, muttering to himself over and over not to stop, to keep going and not fall asleep. The diving suit does nothing against the cold, the water in his hair starting to freeze as Nathan takes arduous step after step, each breath turning into a heavy mist. Nathan falls to his knees when he hears rushing footsteps, balling his hands into fists as the person gets close. Despite the pain, Nathan forces his weight into his punch, making the person land on their ass. It gives Nathan time to move, forcing himself to get on the startled person, shaking hands reaching for their throat. He can feel them clawing at his hands, and he squeezes as hard as he can.

_ “Na...Nath...an...sto..p!” _ The moment it registers who is talking to Nathan, a second pair of arms wrap around him and drag Nathan back. He blinks and is no longer surrounded by the burning wreckage of a derailed train. No, he’s in a small wooded area covered in snow, his brother lying feet away gasping for air. He can see the brown of Sully’s jacket around his arms and chest, and Nathan jerks in pain.

_ “Christ kid, what the hell were you doing?!”  _ Sully isn’t angry, carefully letting go and lamenting the blood all over his jacket. It’s only for a moment, he moves and grabs the emergency blanket, curling it around Nathan tight. The kid looks as white as a sheet, eyes shining in confusion and paranoia as he watches Sam finally sit up.

_ “I...no...I…” _ Nathan sounds terrified, clearly getting ready to move if it weren’t for Sully leaning in front of him.  _ “I thought I was…” _

_ “Speak to me kid,” _ Sully speaks softly, trying to keep Nate warm as he tends to the nasty wound along his back. Sam crawls over to his brother, neck already turning an ugly purple along with what would definitely be a shiner around his left eye. Nathan looks so ashamed and guilty, but Sam merely grasps his shoulder, giving a tight squeeze.

_ “I thought I was back...back in the Himalayas.”  _ He speaks in almost a whisper, and Sully sighs with a quiet curse. They’re silent for a few minutes, Sully patching Nathan up while Sam comforted his brother. He had heard Nathan’s stories plenty of times, but nothing filled Sam with more anger and dread than hearing Nathan recounting his narrow escape and near death. To watch his baby brother relive that, to think Sam was an enemy in his way towards life...honestly, it made his stomach churn. Sully eventually finishes, standing back as Sam helps Nathan up and onto his feet.

_ “Sssh, I’ve got you, baby brother.”  _ He murmurs, Nathan just giving a soft whimper of pain as they make their way back to Sully’s plane. It was thankfully still warm inside, Nathan helped out of the suit and into his warm and awaiting clothing. Sam only relaxed when Nathan was laid upon one of the hammocks, the lack of pressure making the wound slightly bearable as Sully got them up and into the sky.

_ “M sorry Sammy…” _ Nathan mumbles, the painkillers doing wonders as Sam squeezes his hand. 

_ “You don’t apologize for nothin’.”  _ Sam’s voice is weak, his throat now a nasty parade of purples and blacks, but it doesn’t matter. He would, and has, gone through so much worse for Nathan, and he’d do it again without a second thought. Nathan gives a slight whine, but is soothed with another squeeze of his hand, and is lulled to sleep moments later.

_ “You can fence that shit later,”  _ Sully calls from the pilot seat, factoring his fuel stop.  _ “We’re going to get him home.” _

_ “Works for me,” _ Sam calls back weakly, unrolling the other hammock to catch some sleep. Sully can see the brothers’ holding the hands of each other as they sleep, and it makes his old heart ache in fondness. 

The flight back to Nathan’s home is filled with a content silence. 


End file.
